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Holden VIN decoder for Australia and NZ
Holden built the Commodore at Elizabeth in South Australia until October 2017, and the brand was retired in 2021, but Holdens remain everywhere on the used market. The VIN shows whether a car is a locally built Commodore or an import from Korea, Thailand or Germany.
Holden manufacturer codes (WMI)
The first three characters of the VIN are the world manufacturer identifier. These are the Holden codes you will see most often in Australia and New Zealand:
| VIN starts with | Meaning |
|---|---|
6G1 | General Motors-Holden, Australia (from November 2002) |
6H8 | General Motors-Holden, Australia (before November 2002) |
KL3 | GM Daewoo / GM Korea for Holden (Barina, Captiva) |
MMM | Chevrolet Thailand – Holden Colorado |
W0L / W0V | Opel, Germany – Astra and the ZB Commodore |
Model year in a Holden VIN
Locally built Holdens record the build date on the compliance plate; do not guess it from the VIN.
Buying a used Holden
Popular models here: Commodore, Colorado, Captiva, Cruze, Astra, Barina.
Many Commodores and Colorados were fleet, police or tradie vehicles. Check that the build plate matches the VIN and ask for proof that recall work was done.
Holden VIN questions
What is the difference between 6H8 and 6G1?
Both are General Motors-Holden codes for vehicles built in Australia. 6H8 was used before November 2002 and 6G1 after it, so the prefix also helps to date a Commodore.
Where was my Holden Colorado built?
The Colorado came from Thailand, and its VIN starts with MMM, the code GM used there. Barinas and Captivas came from Korea (KL3) and the last Commodore from Germany (W0V).